Everybody Reads Raymond: #Fail

I like Dave Raymond and was sorry to hear he’d been let go by Houston. I like him even more after this piece:

One plucky kid named Terry leaned in to interrupt my chat with Jon Morosi late Sunday night.  The evening was winding down for me.  Jon was still chasing a story.

Terry was something else.  He was searching for job advice.  He was the type of kid whom you could easily dismiss if deadlines and editors pressed.  Jon paid attention though.  So did I.

We dug a little deeper and learned Terry survived cancer four years ago.  He’s one year away from complete remission.  He spent last year pulling tarp, making copies and doing grunt work all day, every day, for a short-season minor league team.  He did it for nothing.  Now he was back again, looking for another internship — maybe a full-season gig this time or a paying job — with the hopes of advancing his career.

Jon gave Terry his card and offered to help however he could.  I explained that I was looking for work, myself.

I bumped into Terry the next day and he told me that he had been rejected by a few teams.  I’m sure he’ll be turned down by several more.  Someone is eventually going to hire him though.  They are going to enjoy a personal and professional journey they’ll never forget.  I can’t wait to hear how he does.

I met many more young guys betting on their dreams.  Some were timid.  My primary piece of advice was for them to try to get turned down by a team.  Soon.

I’m rooting for Dave, and Terry, and everyone else who is out there seeing opportunity instead of failure,